Oops!!

[flash]

I had pulled some beef ribs out of the freezer around a week ago an placed them in fridge to thaw. Wife's folks made it into town and we put off smoking them (they don't care for smoked foods). I had remembered the ribs and moved the Prime Rib bones back to the freezer but forgot a small pack of individual beef boned ribs. (3 Pack)
Question: Are they toast? They are vacuumed sealed, but should I toss them or grill them up NOW!!!

 

[richtee]

The nose knows.

On edit: Any sour/rancid odors? If not they are probably OK.

 

[ron50]

Not to contradict Rich but the bacteria that cause food born illness don't produce an odor. The bacteria that do are not harmful. Now that being said if the meat smells bad you may have the bad bacteria as well. The shelf life of meat is extended by vacuum sealing but by how much who knows.

 

[smokebuzz]

How does brisket last 30-45+ days vac packed in the fridge ageing?
Have heard of folks doing that.

 

[flash]

yeah I was thinking about Alton Brown some.

 

[richtee]

How bout a slimy feel? Usually I notice an off odor first, but heck, there are all kinds of bugs, and all kinds of noses.

You got a link to the info there, Ron? I wanna know these things!

 

[lisacsco]

Flash...

the cost of the meat does not compare to the cost of an ER visit if you get sick. I would throw them away, just not worth it. You aint been sick till you have had food poisoning.

 

[flash]

Well, I posted this on my Fishing Forum also

One of the guys figured that, with my freezer temp really low, around 12º it would take them a good 2 to 3 days to thaw in the fridge. Then sit for 3 days or so. I took a chance and opened them. No smell, no slime. I have used stuff vacuumed seal that was close to one year old and been amazed at how good the food was. I am going to smoke them. if they taste weird in any way, out they go.

 

[abelman]

Again, I think if it's vacuum packed and only a week, you're good to go!!

 

[ron50]

I read it on the fsis portion of the usda.gov website but I cant access the information at the moment dont know if it's down or just busy due to the holidays.

Here is something from wikianswers.com:

"Please also be aware that meat and especially chicken that's been unrefrigerated too long can contain bacteria or viruses that will give you food poisoning. These are absolutely odorless and colorless, so even with a keen sense of smell, you'll never know they're present. Foodborne illness is much more common than actually eating rotten food. "

 

[richtee]

OK..cool. I'll try to get to the FSIS site later on...

Thanks Ron!

 

[ron50]

I have too, but usually in a commercial fridge which is colder, not the 38-40 degrees found in most home fridges and usually from 30 -40 days from the "kill date" of the meat not the sell by date.

My feeling is there is no hard and fast rule here, some people break these "rules" and don't get sick, some do what they want. I don't think you are going to read too many post with people who tried this kind of stuff and then poisoned themselves, lol.

 

[richtee]

And they do stuff like inject inert gasses into the packaging. Vacpac does NOT mean a perfect vacuum. But they can replace the air with things that will not support bacterial life/growth.

 

[ron50]

Rich:

I found this on the fda site

"Myth: The only time food is not safe to eat is when it looks or smells spoiled.
Fact: Many people assume that because food spoilage is visible, this is the only time that food is not safe to eat. Food that looks and smells fresh may contain harmful pathogens that you cannot see. Food-spoilage bacteria are not the same as foodborne bacteria.
Food-spoilage bacteria are responsible for the deterioration of food. This includes milk going sour or lunch meat turning green or slimy. Spoilage is more of a food-quality issue than a food-safety issue. Basic sanitary practices and proper refrigeration will reduce or retard bacterial growth and subsequent spoilage. Most people will not get sick from food-spoilage bacteria, but it is recommended that you don't eat any food that is spoiled, as it may cause some people to have a reaction, such as nausea.
Foodborne illness bacteria contaminate food and make it unsafe to eat. If these bacteria are present in large enough numbers, they can cause someone who eats the contaminated food to become ill. The best way to keep foodborne illness bacteria from multiplying in food is to follow these simple rules: Keep hot foods hot, keep cold foods cold, and keep hands and food-preparation areas clean. (See the 4 Cs section.)"

Full info here: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/a2z-f.html

 

[dono]

WHEN IN DOUBT THROW IT OUT!!!!!!

better you waist a pack of meat then you or someone else gets ill

 

[bustedluckbarbq]

Well if it was froze... thawed in fridge and sat three days... I'd eat it... drink liquor with it... soak it in somethin' strong.... eat it... if ya get the poo's blame it on the liquor....

 

[desertlites]

if frozen safe-than thawed in fridge-will last a week-or more-I judge by time -color&smell-tis up to u that knows-how it was stored
as far as freeze time I eat beef from my freezer-2 years old-still tastes great-vac pack-or even butcher paper if I did it.